The Twelve Days of Christmas
by Eleantris
Summary: Christmas, and more importantly, the Christmas party, is fast approaching in CID. Gene is being a scrooge, and Alex just wants to cheer him up. She has twelve days to do so... Well, they always say that miracles can happen at Christmas. Lots of Galex! :D
1. Part One

_**I'm really excited about this! Haha, it took me ages to come up with a Christmassy oneshot idea this year, and then this amalgamation of stuff sort of popped into my head, and I couldn't really resist... And it kind of became a two-shot. So you've got the first 'six days of Christmas' here, and the other six will come along very soon! So, I hope you enjoy it, and a Merry Galexy Christmas to you all! God bless us, every one. **_

_**X :D**_

_**Disclaimer – Ashes to Ashes is not mine, I doubt it will be under the tree or in my stocking on Christmas morning... But I'll keep wishing, and praying... to Santa. :P **_

_**The Twelve Days of Christmas - Part One**_

* * *

><p><em>Day One<em>

"I'll be stuffing something of yours in a minute, and it won't be a bleedin' partridge!"

"_Gene_!" Alex's exasperated sigh came from behind him as she hurried out the door of Fenchurch East station, pulling on gloves and zipping her white leather jacket up. She spared a sympathetic glance towards the carol singers that were stationed at the bottom of the steps and felt slightly guilty for not having time to throw some change in the rather empty looking charity collection bucket in front of them. She made a mental note to give them some if they were still there when she got back.

"Sorry," she said as she rushed toward the Quattro, lest Gene get in and speed off without her, "He's a little highly strung this time of year-"

"Bolly!" Gene bellowed, smacking his hand down on the roof of the Quattro as he glared at her impatiently. "Are you getting your arse over 'ere now, or am I leaving it out here to freeze? Not that I'd mind giving it a good rub to warm it up."

With another hurried apology and whilst trying to suppress a smile at Gene's offer to give her arse a 'good rub', Alex hurried on to slide in the passenger side of the Quattro, her heels tapping loudly on the frozen concrete. She barely had chance to pull the door shut before Gene hit the accelerator pedal and they went speeding off at breakneck speed, tires squealing.

"Slow down, Gene, you can barely see a bloody thing," Alex snapped, leaning forward and trying to wipe some of the frozen mist and condensation from the wind screen with the end of her sleeve. She was thrown to one side during her attempt as Gene hurtled the Quattro around a sharp corner, paying her no attention. He merely reached out a hand to stab the off-button on the radio, cutting Paul McCartney off mid-'_Simply having a wonderful Christmastime_'.

"Bloody poofter seasonal drivel."

Rolling her eyes, Alex slumped back in her seat and gave up in her efforts to clear the windscreen and prevent Gene from sending her to an early grave. She had been putting up with this ever since mid-November. It was true that Gene's aversion to Christmas had hardly surprised her (since when had he ever been a fan of spreading 'goodwill' and 'cheer' to all men?), but she really hadn't anticipated this level of grouchiness from him. He was a true Scrooge, through and through, and it disappointed her a little bit, really. Because, well, she had thought that maybe...but if he wasn't into the spirit of the season then... Well, the tinsel trimmed corset could just be saved for some other poor bugger's enjoyment, couldn't it?

Gene's voice broke abruptly through her musings as the Quattro screeched to a halt outside what appeared to be some kind of dilapidated lock-up near the docklands. It was a miracle the car didn't slide everywhere, the amount of ice frozen on the London roads at this time of year.

"Pull yer stockings up, Bols, this is it. He twisted in his seat to retrieve something from the back seat. "Here."

Alex frowned at the crow bar her DCI was holding out to her. "Are you really expecting me to help you break in to this place? I'm not Lara Croft, you know!"

"Who?"

She let out an exasperated sigh and rolled her eyes again, still not taking the crow bar from him. "Never mind."

"Yer a fruitcake, Bolly. Now take this bleeding thing and get out of the car. I'm not expecting yer t'help."

"Then what do I need this for?" Alex cried as she took it from him with a huff and got out of the car. She met his gaze over the striking red roof of the Quattro.

Gene shrugged and retrieved a baseball bat for himself. "Nothing. Just you, standin' there in those jeans, yer leather and 'olding that, gives me the horn." He moved quickly then, walking briskly to the lock-up of a suspect they currently had in holding for the murder of a middle aged car mechanic a few days ago.

Alex hurried after him, eyes wide with indignation. "What, so I'm holding this f-for your _enjoyment_?"

Glancing towards her with a wicked grin on his face as he battered the aged locks of the door in with the baseball bat, Gene shrugged and gave the door a good final kick. "No point having a female DI if yer can't enjoy the view occasionally." At her scowl, he knocked the door open with one final triumphant shove. "Cheer up, Bols; it's Christmas. Give a man a break."

Alex watched, appalled, as Gene simply breezed into the lock-up as if he had every right to be there, and every right to say those things to her. She shook her head and watched as her breath misted up when it escaped angrily from her mouth. "You are impossible sometimes!" she exclaimed in exasperation, before storming in after him.

"I could say the same of you, Bolly. Now shift, yer delectable arse is in the way of that box there."

* * *

><p><em>Day Two<em>

"He really hates Christmas, doesn't he?" Alex mused, absently running the tip of her index finger around the rim of her wine glass as she watched Gene grouchily bat at some tinsel that dared to hang too close to his head as he approached the bar. He shouted something to Luigi that she didn't quite catch, but rest assured, it was probably something racist, homophobic and generally insulting to the poor man who had just tried to brighten the place up a bit.

Beside her, Shaz gave a murmur of agreement and drained the rest of the wine from her glass. "Chris says he's always hated it... Or not bothered to celebrate it properly, at least..." She bit her lip, glancing up at her DI. "From what I can gather, Ma'am, I think his brother died around this time... You know, the one that was on drugs?"

Comprehension dawned on Alex face and she nodded, a small sad smile finding its way onto her face. "I thought there must be a reason..." The sad smile widened ever so slightly and her gaze flickered upwards to look at Shaz for a moment. "And here I was, beginning to wonder what it is I see in him."

"What, you - ?" The young WPC's mouth fell open a little way, and her head turned this way and that for a brief moment as she looked between Alex and Gene, who was loudly and grumpily ordering himself another drink. "You... Are you and the Guv...?"

Alex laughed quietly and shook her head, her eyes cast downward and drowning in what little wine remained in her glass. "No, Shaz... But..." She glanced wistfully over towards the man in question, and couldn't help the small wry smile that tugged on the corners of her lips. She looked back at Shaz again. "He has a certain charm, doesn't he?"

Giggling, Shaz bent her head and shook it, her bright gaze coming up to meet Alex's. She was beaming. "Don't ask me, Ma'am, not my type! Plus everyone knows he's only got eyes for you... It's got to be you and him. It always has been."

Alex smiled again and bit her lip, trying her best to not let her gaze stray towards her impressive DCI, who had made his way back to his table with Ray and Chris now. Usually, she sat with him, but she had put up with just about enough of his macho attitude over the past few days to be getting on with, and she had fancied a girly chat with Shaz. This hadn't quite been the conversation she'd had in mind, though.

"I don't know, Shaz, but... Just keep it quiet for now, alright?"

Shaz nodded and smiled delightedly. "My lips are sealed, Ma'am... But if you ask me, you should just go for it. He's a good man, despite all the shit he dishes out. Chris once said to me he could never imagine working for anyone else but the Guv."

"Oh, I know he is, Shaz. You don't have to tell me that," Alex said, her voice pensive and expression thoughtful. "In fact I think I'd even consider him a friend... But the question is, do I want to go beyond that?" She picked up her wine glass and swigged the last of her drink back before putting it down firmly on the table. Sighing, she pulled herself to her feet. "I'm off upstairs, Shaz, but thanks for keeping me company tonight."

"No problem, Ma'am... And think on what I said, yeah?" Shaz glanced towards her DCI, and then fixed her steady gaze back on Alex. "I know the Guv acts like a shag-'em-and-leave-'em type, but he's mad about you... It's something beyond that with you... Even Chris has noticed it, and that's saying something."

With a laugh, Alex sat back down again to pull Shaz into a hug. "Thanks, Shaz. You're wise beyond your years, you are. I've always said it."

She smiled. "Goodnight, Ma'am."

"Night, Shaz."

The intelligent Essex girl watched with a smile on her face as the Guv's eyes followed Alex as she left, right until she was completely out of sight. She had a feeling that this Christmas was going to be a very good one for everyone concerned. A very, very good one indeed.

* * *

><p><em>Day Three<em>

Alex stared at the shoes, chewing on her bottom lip as she deliberated. Next to her, Shaz wrinkled her nose a little and looked at her dubiously.

"Not sure, Ma'am. What if you end up looking a bit... y'know... Slutty? Not that you don't always look fabulous, mind, but... Don't want to give the wrong impression."

Laughing a little, Alex picked up the shoes again and examined them from every angle. They were red, a bright, deep crimson red - the colour of blood and lust and passion. The stiletto heels came down like daggers, and a thin gold zip ran artfully down from the back, around the outside and slashed across the toe.

"Well, considering what I have in mind, Shaz... The wrong impression might just be the right one." She laughed again and tipped Shaz a suggestive wink.

"Why, what do you have in mind? I thought we were just shopping for the Christmas party."

"Oh, we are, Shaz, we are..." Alex's smile had just a hint of suggestion, and Shaz recognised the mischievous glint in her eyes. Oh, Alex Drake wasn't just planning on going to the Christmas party. Alex Drake was planning on dressing to impress... And Shaz thought she had a good idea of just who would be on the receiving end of this outfit, too.

Alex laughed as this realisation dawned on Shaz's face, and she picked both shoes up again decisively.

"Right, I'm getting them."

Shaz's eyes widened. "Are you one hundred percent, sure, Ma'am? What with the dress and all, just don't want you getting a reputation..."

Here, the corners of Alex's lips turned up into something halfway between a satisfied smirk and a secretive smile. "Oh don't worry about that, Shaz... Besides, who says this is what I'm wearing to the party? I might just... save it for afterwards."

Shaz's eyes widened even further, and she almost tripped over a handbag someone had left next to a seat for trying shoes on. "Wh... What sort of things exactly _do _you have in mind, Ma'am?"

Eyes lighting up, Alex's laugh sounded again and she shook her head, miming a zipping action across her smiling lips. "Let's just say, Shaz, that all of Gene Hunt's Christmases are coming at once this year."

* * *

><p><em>Day Four<em>

"Come in," Gene said gruffly from where he was slouched in the seat behind his desk, cigarette nearly burnt down to the filter in one hand, whisky tumbler in the other.

Giving him a small, brief smile, Alex slipped inside the office and dropped a file down onto his desk. "All tidied up, Guv, just need you to sign it off."

With a grunt, Gene stubbed out his cigarette in an ashtray that was in desperate need of emptying, and began searching around his desk for a pen. Whilst his hands pushed abandoned paperwork, newspapers and the occasional food wrapper aside, Alex smiled, and quietly cleared her throat.

Pausing in his search when he heard this, Gene flicked his gaze up to look at her, and what he saw then made his eyes widen and pupils dilate considerably.

Throat going dry, he watched with racing heartbeat as, with a small, absently seductive smile, Alex Drake reached down the front of her top, pulled out a black biro pen, and handed it to him with a flourish, as if it was nothing. As if this was normal behaviour, expected practise for a professional female DI in the metropolitan police force.

"Here," she said, and smiled at his expression. His eyes were wide, dumbstruck with something akin to a mixture of awe, arousal and confusion, and Alex just knew he was probably consciously telling himself not to let his mouth fall open.

Swallowing to wet his throat, Gene blinked, aware that he probably looked like a gormless schoolboy by now, and reached out to take the pen. With a steady hand that surprised him most of all, he signed the file off and handed that, and the pen, back to her. He tried to avoid her gaze as he cleared his throat.

"Got, ah, um, anything else down there I might be needing?"

Because really, she would wonder what was wrong with him if he didn't slip _some_ sort of innuendo in there. But at that moment in time, _he_ was wondering what was wrong with _her_. Since when did Alex Drake waltz into his office, smile at him like _that_, and produce a pen out from... ? He felt the sudden urge to pinch himself, because this was just too much like one of the fantasies he regularly found himself indulging in, involving himself and his drop-dead gorgeous DI...

The mischievous, alluring smile that Gene had only seen her direct at him one or two times since he'd known her spread across Alex's face, and Gene marvelled at the strength of his own self-control. It was a bloody miracle he hadn't thrown himself across the desk at her, pinned her against that bloody infuriating filing cabinet, all strewn over with tinsel, and...

"Not sure there's anything you'll be _needing_, Guv... But there might be something down there that you _want_..."

Before Gene could even react, before his pupils even had the chance to bulge out of their sockets and before he could manoeuvre his chair closer under the desk so that she wouldn't notice the rather... ah... awkward situation arising in his trousers, Alex had turned, and walked out of his office without a backward glance, file and pen in hand.

"Step one, complete," Alex whispered to herself, smiling.

Gene stared after her, agog. His knuckles were white from how tight he was clenching his fists. That bloody woman was going to be the death of him. Just what _was_ she playing at?

* * *

><p><em>Day Five<em>

"Guv, are you coming?"

Gene turned, pout on his face, hands in his pockets, to look at Ray. "Well of course I'm bloody coming; this is my department, isn't it?"

"Alright, Guv," Ray muttered, turning back to his game of catch with an empty cigarette packet with Chris. "Was just asking."

At that moment, Alex re-entered CID through the double doors and just caught the end of the conversation. She looked around with slightly raised eyebrows. "Who's coming where?"

As Ray sniggered into his tea at the childish innuendo that immediately popped into his head, Gene swung round in his place to face her.

"I'm coming t' this Christmas do at Luigi's at the weekend. Though why Raymondo 'ere thought I'd be anywhere else is beyond me."

"Well, you never know, Guv," Alex said with a nonchalant shrug as she sat down behind her desk, her meaningful gaze never straying from his. "You might get... held up."

If the rest of CID noticed the edge of promise in her voice, they didn't let on, and Gene was left to stare at her, for the second time that week, lost for words. The bloody infuriating woman was teasing him... She was playing him like a fiddle and he was powerless to do anything but dance along. What the hell was she doing? If this was all some big bet she had on with Shaz or one of the other officers to make him look like a fool, there was going to be hell to pay.

But what if it wasn't? What if she really was just... gagging for it? He felt a small surge of pride at this thought and his chest puffed out slightly. But... Then he realised that was ridiculous. This matter had been settled months ago. Alex Drake, a posh bird, did not want to shag him, Gene Hunt, an over the hill, worn out copper the wrong bleeding side of forty. And that, quite simply, was that.

So she was playing him. But... there was always a chance, that maybe...

He sighed angrily and scowled at her, before turning away and striding back into his office. He didn't trust his own voice to provide her with a response.

* * *

><p><em>Day Six<em>

"The Guv shouted at me just for putting five sugars in his tea and not six earlier, Ma'am... I think your plan's definitely working."

Alex chuckled and turned off the tap, shaking the water off her hands before grabbing some paper towels to dry them properly. "I think it definitely is, Shaz... I'm sorry CID has to suffer for it though, I might need to let him cool off a little."

Laughing, Shaz leaned back from the mirror and dropped her mascara back in her bag. "Right, I'm off. Me and Chris are going to the pictures tonight – finally got 'im to do something I want for a change."

"You keep hold of him, Shaz," Alex said with a smile, dropping her paper towels in the bin and glancing in the mirror for a second to check her eyeliner was still in place. "He might be a bit of a div, as you call him, but he loves you."

Shaz returned the smile, her eyes slightly dreamy. "I know... He's my div." She beamed. "Oh, and Ma'am?"

"Yes?"

"I hope it works out this Christmas, what you've got planned for the Guv... You might just be teasing him at the moment, but you care about him, and he cares about you... I think that's something he really needs this year."

A wide, animated smile spread across Alex's face as she nodded, and a look of understanding passed between the two women. No, she wasn't just teasing Gene to see how long it would take for him to crack. She wasn't just trying to see how far she could push the unresolved sexual tension between them. She cared about him... And for the first time, Alex found herself admitting something to herself. She wanted to be with him. She wanted to be able to slip into his office, draw the blinds and snog him senseless to the point where he couldn't walk straight for the next few minutes. She wanted them to make-out like teenagers in the stairwell leading up to her flat. She wanted to fall asleep with him at night and wake up with him in the morning. And although she knew Gene would probably throw up if he knew the sappiness of her thoughts in that moment, she didn't care.

"A Gene Hunt isn't just for Christmas, right, Shaz?"

Nodding, Shaz laughed and opened the door to leave. She grinned. "See you tomorrow, Ma'am!"

"Bye, Shaz."

Still smiling, Alex turned back to the mirror to examine her reflection. She reapplied her lipstick and tousled her curls a little, pulling on them to examine their length as she wondered if it wasn't time for a haircut. The perm she had arrived with was beginning to grow out a little, so the curls were more relaxed... She nodded decisively to herself. She would book an appointment at the hairdressers in the morning. Straightening her jacket, she headed for the door too. Snow was beginning to fall outside, she noticed, and the weekend, with the Christmas party along with it, was looming. It was time for the next phase. Oh no, Gene Hunt was not going to know what had hit him.

* * *

><p><em><strong>So that's just the first part! I hope you enjoyed it, because I really enjoyed writing it, and please review! The next six days are to come really soon, loaded with lots of Galex, and a Merry Christmas to you all! Because I love you. :D <strong>_

_**X :D**_

_**P.S - Massive thanks to Jazzola for encouraging me to write this. She's got the power! :P **_


	2. Part Two

_**Hello! Sorry it's taken me a tad longer than expected to get this second part up, but I hope you'll still enjoy it! See it as a late Christmas present-slash-New Year's present. :D Thank you very much for your lovely reviews, and I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. :D **_

_**X :D**_

_**Disclaimer – Nope, as expected, Santa did not bring me Ashes to Ashes… Though I did get a very gorgeous and brilliant Gene Hunt calendar! :P**_

_**The Twelve Days of Christmas – Part 2**_

* * *

><p><em>Day Seven<em>

Gene was sulking. Sitting miserably in his swivel chair, he knocked back the last of his whisky and hoped that at least one of the monkeys he had the misfortune to govern had had the common decency to buy him another bottle for Christmas. The usual disgruntled pout rested on his lips as he reached for his cigarettes, only to find the packet empty.

"Bugger," he muttered, and chucked the defunct packet in the bin with a little more force in his throw than necessary. With a long sigh, he sat back in his chair again and wondered when the hell all this was going to be over. CID was covered in tinsel and paper chains and baubles – it looked like a bleeding poofter's elf shack – and someone had somehow managed to strew tinsel in his office too, though he'd ripped the majority of it down.

Christmas just wasn't really his kind of thing.

And to make it worse, Alex still hadn't come in. She had apparently rung in that morning to say she was going to be late, and Gene had just presumed she'd gotten herself hammered and woken up with a hangover, but it was nearing lunchtime now and she still hadn't come in.

Then, as though fate had read his mind, just as Gene was reaching to grab his darts, the double doors at the end of CID opened, and in she came. He froze, still leant over the desk, gaze stuck to her like glue. He swallowed. Pushing his chair back, he got up and strode out of his office.

* * *

><p>"Wow, Ma'am, love the hair!"<p>

Alex smiled at Shaz as she removed her jacket and draped it over the back of her chair. "Thanks, Shaz," she said, self-consciously reaching up to touch the now shorter, more relaxed curls that just about brushed her shoulders, framing her face, and the fringe that dusted across her forehead.

"Am I seeing this correctly?" Gene asked loudly, striding forwards with his hands in his pockets, piercing gaze fixed on his DI's face. "Are you telling me, Lady Bols, that you missed an entire morning of work, to get yer hair cut?"

Alex smiled brightly up at him. "That's pretty much the face of it, yes, Guv."

A dark shadow passed over Gene's face, and he stepped closer to her desk, towering over it. Still Alex looked up at him, unfazed. Shaz watched on, the teasing of a smile twitching on her lips.

"Listen, Drakey, yer might be a bloody woman, but that does not give you the right to skive yer duties t' get your hair faffed about with!"

"Oh," Alex said, her voice softening as she injected a little hurt into her expression. She gently touched the curls again and pouted up at him with wide eyes. "You don't like it then?"

A long string of swear words ran through Gene's mind as he stared at her. Like it? She looked gorgeous. She looked more than gorgeous, she looked… He swallowed, and realised that 'flawless' and 'perfect' were words that poofters used. Just what the hell was she trying to make him into?

Alex was still looking up at him, blinking with a sickly sweet smile on her face.

"Yeah, yeah, yer look lovely, Bols, now are yer getting this paperwork finished or what?" Gene finally replied gruffly, nodding to the small pile of files on her desk.

Her smile immediately brightening, Alex nodded and pulled it towards her. "Starting on it now, Guv."

"Yeah… You see you do that, Bolly."

And with that, Gene turned away and mooched back into his office, slamming the door behind him. Once he was gone, Alex let out a small giggle to herself, and then carried on with her paperwork. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to her, Gene was sat back behind his desk, eyes fixed on her, thoughts and feelings driving him wild.

_You better watch out, Genie Boy… This looks like it's going to be a long Christmas. _

* * *

><p><em>Day Eight<em>

"So is it all set, Ma'am, you're definitely going through with this?"

Alex glanced behind them in case anyone was coming down the corridor and might overhear. She turned back to Shaz with a grin. "Of course I am, Shaz. Hardly going to back out now. Plus this way, I might just stand a chance of actually getting him in the festive mood for the party, so he's not such a miserable sod whilst we're all trying to celebrate."

Shaz laughed. "Well, good luck, Ma'am, I hope it all goes well. Not that I think anything can go wrong, I've seen the way he's been looking at you."

The flicker of a frown flicked across Alex's face. "What do you mean?"

"Well, he's always looked at you like, well, you know… All broody and thoughtful and stuff… But lately, it's like his eyes have kicked it up a notch, Ma'am. Now he looks at you and it's so obvious that he'd rather be shagging you than doing whatever it is he actually happens to be doing at that moment in time."

"Shaz!" Alex exclaimed, unable to suppress a laugh at the young WPC's rather blunt way of putting things.

"Sorry, Ma'am… But, you know what I mean… And someone had to say it…"

Smiling, Alex pulled her into a hug. "It's alright, Shaz, and thank you."

"You're welcome, Ma'am. Anything to see you and the Guv get together at last. Sometimes I think you should both either get a room or kill each other."

"Let's go for the former, shall we?" Alex said brightly, and they both laughed.

* * *

><p><em>Day Nine<em>

"Right," Gene announced, standing impressively in the doorway of his office, surveying the rest of CID. Everyone had their eyes on him, but Gene's gaze kept darting to where Alex had her chin resting in one hand, a smile on her face not too dissimilar to the one she had worn the time he had asked whether she was a C or a D cup. He mentally shook himself and told himself not to look at her. Whatever joke or game it was she was playing, she could cut it out… He was beginning to think that whatever it was, it had gone too far now. There was one thing that Gene Hunt detested above all else, and that was being in the dark.

"All the criminals seem to 'ave packed off home for Christmas, so it's about time we all did the same. I don't want to see hide nor hair of yer until the day after Boxing Day, apart from at Luigi's o'course."

Everyone grinned and there was a chorus of "Yes Guv!"s, before a cacophony of scraping chairs and excited chatter and doors opening sounded as everyone made to leave.

"Merry Christmas, Guv," Chris said before leaving with Shaz.

"Merry Christmas, Christopher," Gene replied without much feeling, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. "I 'ope you have a good one, at any rate."

"Thanks, Guv." He scuttled out, Shaz in tow, talking happily of decorating the tree and attending some carol service with her Mum. Good Gog, getting to know the in-laws already… Gene pitied the man.

Alex was the last to leave, and had purposely taken her time tidying up the things on her desk and pulling her coat on.

"Well," Gene said, feeling awkward for a reason he couldn't quite explain, standing there with just her in CID and no-one else. "I suppose I'll see yer in Luigi's on Christmas Eve."

And there it was again – that secretive, seductive smile that had just a hint of promise spread across her lips, and her eyes sparkled with suggestion.

"Not if I see you first. Guv."

And with that mysterious comment, she smiled, and walked out of CID; leaving Gene stood there all alone, wondered what the hell had happened to his DI.

"Where's Alex Drake and what the 'ell have you done with 'er?" he muttered, before flicking the lights off and following her out. He had his mind set on the spare bottle of scotch he had stuffed in a cupboard somewhere at home. He still had tomorrow to get through before the party at Luigi's on Christmas Eve the next day.

* * *

><p><em>Day Ten<em>

The soft tones of Spandau Ballet were playing in the background as Alex looked in the mirror, and her reflection looked back at her. She turned, looking over her shoulder as she did so to make sure everything looked perfect from every angle. Finally satisfied, she smiled. Gene Hunt's Christmases really were all coming at once tonight. The red silk dress with its plunging neckline did wonders for her figure, emphasising her chest and tiny waist, and skimming over her hips before coming to cling to her mid-thigh. The slightly daring shoes she had bought with Shaz only elongated her figure and created a perfect silhouette of her legs, if she did say so herself.

_Yes_, Alex thought, smiling again as she checked again that her makeup was perfect and picked up her coat. Gene Hunt was not going to know what had hit him. She checked the clock. Eleven thirty. It would be nearing on midnight by the time she got there – the day of Christmas Eve.

When she got outside, the night sky was pitch black and the scent of pine needles and icy freshness hung in the air, making her smile as she hailed a taxi. Tonight, she knew, was going to be perfect.

* * *

><p>"Here you go, miss."<p>

Alex smiled at the taxi driver and paid her fare, stepping out onto the pavement. "Thank you."

The pleasant looking man looked her up and down with a warm smile. "And whoever he is, he's a lucky chap."

"Oh I dare say he is," Alex replied with a knowing smile, and then turned as the taxi made its way along the road and out of sight.

For a moment, she stood, looking up at Gene's house, just catching her breath. This was it. This was what she had been planning for and building up to for just over a week. As she stood there, Alex began to feel a small fluttering in her stomach, but she smiled and looked up at the night sky determinedly. She was not going to let nerves get the better of her. She wanted this. And God knew it was obvious he wanted this.

And that was when she noticed it.

Very slowly, and with an almost ethereal beauty to irt, snow was starting to fall from the sky. The tiny flakes started on covering the pavement with a thin layer, and Alex laughed delightedly at the snow that had caught on the fibres of her coat and in the soft curls of her hair. The perfect finishing touch to her outfit. With that thought in mind, she smiled confidently and turned towards Gene's house, climbing the few stairs to his front door. They had both been waiting for each other for far too long. Somewhere in the distance, Big Ben chimed midnight next to the Thames. It was Christmas Eve.

* * *

><p><em>Day Eleven <em>

"Bolly?"

For a moment, Gene just stared at her. His breath was caught in his throat, but he didn't care. He didn't even tell himself to stop being such a sissy softie. She looked _beautiful_. The black wool coat that fell past her knees and was tightly buttoned up hid what she was wearing, but the warm light from his hallway was casting a golden glow across her face, so that her smiling lips shined softly and her eyes sparkled. Snowflakes were caught like tiny glistening diamonds in the gentle curls of her hair and Gene couldn't help but think she looked like an angel, sent at Christmas to…

Well, that was a point.

"What are you doing 'ere, Bols?"

"Charming," Alex said with a smile and brief roll of the eyes, her gaze flickering to look past him into the interior of his not so excitingly decorated house. Blue carpet and white wallpapered walls – it was clear that he'd never bothered to paint or get any more furniture than he needed, and Alex couldn't blame him. He spent more time at work, in Luigi's, or drunkenly dozing on her couch anyway. She shifted her weight a little from one foot to the other.

"Are you going to let me in then?"

"Once yer've told me why yer here, of course, Bolly. Because if you're 'ere to nag my ear off about whatever the 'ell I might have done wrong this time, yer can call that cab back again and I'll see yer later at Luigi's. Bloody 'ell, it's just gone midnight, Bols. Can't a man have a drink in peace? If it isn't enough that I 'ave to put up with you all day every…"

Gene trailed off once he noticed the knowing, amused smile that was slowly spreading across Alex's lips. Her eyes were sparkling with mirth as she looked at him, and he closed his mouth for a second, before opening it again.

He frowned at her, again feeling like there was something he was missing. Was she still playing at this game he didn't know the rules of? Because she could just cut it out; Gene Hunt didn't like having the mick taken.

"What?"

Gently shaking her head, Alex smiled and looked at him the way a wise adult looks at a child who is yet to grasp the obvious concept they have been trying hard to explain. With the suggestive, teasing smile on her face that Gene had come to know so well, she slowly brought her hands up to rest on the first button of the coat.

And then, before Gene's widening eyes, she gently popped the button out of its hole and gave a quiet, breathy laugh.

With the blood seemingly stilling in his pounding heart, Gene watched as Alex's hand strayed down to the next button. Her deft fingers undid that one, and strayed down further still. He just caught a glimpse of red, shimmering silk as his gaze flicked up questioningly to meet hers. When she noticed him catch her gaze, Alex's smile just widened and her tongue poked out to absentmindedly wet her lips as she finally undid the last button of her coat, and it fell to hang open, revealing all.

* * *

><p>Gene thought he'd died and gone to heaven. Only there would this happen. Only in amongst the puffy white clouds and choirs of singing angels would Alex Drake pitch up on his doorstep, dressed up to the nines, with a suggestive smile playing on her lips just for him, and wearing a dress that was practically begging to be ripped away from her body.<p>

Before he even knew what was happening, Alex was stalking slowly towards him, a lustful look of hunger in her eyes and her smile as she expertly nudged his front door shut behind her. Backing away from her, Gene could only stare in wonder as the coat slipped gracefully away from her shoulders and pooled as a pile of black on the floor.

"B-Bols?"

Alex's smile widened. Who would have thought it? Confusion and arousal made for a rather adorable combination on his face. His mouth was slightly open, eyebrows raised as he looked at her with wide eyes. But nothing could mask the way his stormy pupils had darkened when the coat had slipped off her shoulders – the way he swallowed and curled his hands into fists to stop from jumping her right there and then. She could see it now – the look in his eyes that Shaz had talked about – the look that said all he wanted was her in his bed, and nothing else but that mattered. A thrill shot down Alex's spine.

Coming to a stop directly in front of him, Alex allowed a wide smile to spread across closed lips, as though she was hiding some great, amusing secret behind them. Her gaze was connected with his, electricity humming between them. The hallway was suddenly very, very quiet.

Slowly, Alex brought one hand up to gently brush against the side of his face before resting it on his shoulder. "Merry Christmas, Gene."

It took a few goes at opening and closing his mouth before Gene could speak, and even then his words came out gruff and strained. "It's not-not Christmas yet, Bolly, yer fruitcake."

She smiled at him again, and shifted forwards further to remove the few inches of burning distance between them. Her lips were hovering just inches from his own, their warm breaths mingling in the silence, Alex's soft, warm gaze assuredly meeting Gene's panic-stricken, lustful one. He dipped his eyes down, unable to maintain eye contact, and swallowed. He could feel the warmth and sweetness of her breath on his face, could almost touch the silk of her dress where it flowed effortlessly over her curves and just about covered her arse. Closing his eyes, he breathed in deeply. Good God, how he wanted her. How many times had he fantasised about this? Dreamt about Alex Drake offering herself to him on a plate…

There was a beat, and then he looked back up at her again, and Alex was surprised to see that his face had hardened, and there was a shadow of mistrust in his eyes.

"This some kind of game, Alex?" he asked, voice sharp as a knife, and she couldn't help but flinch at his words. "A practical joke? Some sort of bet between you and Shaz or someone, or what?"

A frown indented Alex's face ever so slightly, as hurt crept into her eyes. She shook her head and when she replied, her words were soft. "No… No, Gene… I…" She sighed, gently moving the hand that was on his shoulder up to rest against the side of his face again, her thumb lightly caressing his cheek.

"I'm your early Christmas present," she murmured, tilting her head slightly to one side. She caught his gaze as it dipped down to her lips. Tension and electricity hung in the air and every nerve ending in her body was a livewire, zinging with pent-up energy. "Or at least, I was going to be…" She swallowed. "Of course if you don't want…"

Biting her lip, she began to pull back from him a little way, but was stopped when Gene reached out with both hands to grab her waist, pulling her back to him with almost violent insistence. "No."

A smile spread across Alex's face once more, and she looked up at him, eyes sparkling. "I thought as much," she said, and there was a note of playful laughter in her voice.

Gene's hands loosened their grip on her waist a little, but remained where they were, holding her to him. He could feel the suppleness of her skin, the warmth of her body. She was driving him wild.

"Just one thing, Bols," he said, looking at her with unmasked desire in his eyes. His voice was low and almost husky, and Alex shivered. Gene felt the vibration through her body and his lips quirked upwards into a smile. That was nothing to do with the cold.

"Yes?" she asked, tilting her head on one side again so that her lips were hovering mere centimetres from his own. They were dancing motionlessly now, gazes moving between lips and eyes, bodies aligning, Alex's hands coming up to rest lightly against his chest.

"This better 'ad not be a joke."

She smiled. "It isn't." They moved closer still. Her next words came out as a barely audible whisper, and longing tinged every softly spoken syllable. "I want you, Gene…"

And then, he kissed her.

* * *

><p>It was soft and slow at first – hesitant, almost. He was testing the water, gently pressing his lips to hers and savouring the feel of her body so close to his, her eyes fluttering to a close. Their lips moved together in perfect harmony, and there was a note of happy relief and joyful triumph in the kiss, as though they both recognised that this was them, finally getting what they had yearned for for months on end.<p>

Gradually, the low-burning fire grew up into a full-blown blaze, and lust and heat roared through their hearts and ignited their veins. The kiss grew more desperate, more heated, their movements passionate and frenzied. Pressing herself as close to him as humanly possible, Alex wrapped her arms tight around his neck as though she was promising to never, ever let go. Gene's arms anchored her to him, one hand fisting in her curls at the back of her head as his mouth devoured hers, tongues battling for dominance.

She tasted of sweetness and fire, felt like warmth and passion and something that was so her he couldn't and didn't want to define it. The taste of burning whisky with an undertone of the cigarette smoke she usually found so repulsive danced on Alex's tongue, and she was sure she had never felt more alive. Not in the eighties, not in the future. This was the moment that the Earth stopped spinning beneath their feet, and time just let them be.

They broke apart, gasping for air, lips swollen and hearts racing, desperate for more. Gene didn't relinquish his tight hold on her. The dress was rumpled by now, covered with creases, and at some point in amongst the heat and frenzied passion, some of the buttons of Gene's shirt had been ripped from their holes.

"Do you want t' take this upstairs?" Gene breathed, his lips already falling to place light, deliberate kisses along her collar bones.

Alex's head tilted back, tiny stars bursting like pinpricks of light in front of her eyes. "That was the plan…"

"I like your thinking, Bols…"

She smiled, her head coming back for her lips to meet his once again. "And I'm sure that's not all you like, Mr Hunt…" she murmured. And that was the last thing either of them said for a long while.

* * *

><p>Snow rested undisturbed on the window ledge outside as Alex lay there, blissfully watching as the morning sunlight danced in it, making it sparkle with the brilliance of a thousand tiny diamonds. Her body was curved back into Gene's, his chest pressing against her bare back with one arm slung lazily over her hip. There was a wide, dazzling smile on her face that just wouldn't go away, no matter how soppy she told herself it was.<p>

"Go back t' sleep, Bols," Gene mumbled, his warm lips pressing against her shoulder.

Alex twisted in his arms slightly to look at him. "How did you know I was awake?"

Gene didn't open his eyes, but just pulled her closer to him, their legs tangling together under the sheets. "Could hear yer thinking… Can always hear yer thinking. Too much going on up there in tha' head of yours."

Letting out a quiet chuckle, Alex gladly acquiesced and closed her eyes, settling herself back against him as they dozed more of the morning away. Still, the smile never faded from her face. And neither did it from Gene's.

* * *

><p><em>Day Twelve – Christmas Day<em>

"Ten!"

"Nine!"

"Eight!"

"Seven!"

"Six!"

Luigi's was stuffed with coppers – both from Fenchurch East and West, which thankfully hadn't resulted in any serious brawls or arguments. Yet. Everyone had a drink in their hand and was almost certainly over the limit, and the sound of chatter and jeering and shouting was more than enough to drown out the sound of the festive music Luigi had kindly agreed to play for them instead of the usual 'Classical Mussolini shit', as Gene so sensitively called it.

"Five!"

"Four!"

And if anyone noticed that Alex hadn't left Gene's side the entire night, or that his arm was currently wrapped tightly around her waist, his hand resting dangerously close to her arse, as the entire party counted down to Christmas Day, no-one said anything. Only Shaz watched on with a knowing smile and bright, happy eyes.

"Three!"

"Two!"

"One!"

An almost deafening chorus of 'Merry Christmas!' and other not so well-wishing greetings filled the restaurant as Alex knocked back the rest of her drink and placed it on a nearby table.

"Well," she said, turning back to Gene, her gaze meeting his in amongst the celebratory chaos that was now running riot through Luigi's. "Merry Christmas, Gene."

Gene's gaze flicked up to the ceiling where, in amongst the tinsel Luigi had strewn all over his restaurant, some mistletoe hung. He looked back at Alex and smiled – a true, genuine smile that few had ever seen before. He pulled her closer, both arms wrapping around her waist so that there was no chance of her getting away.

"Merry Christmas, Bols."

A loud cheer erupted and spread through Luigi's as their lips met, and applause drowned out all other noise as everyone watched their DCI and DI kissing under the mistletoe. Over near the bar, Shaz was clapping and cheering the loudest.

"_Finally_," she sighed, and grinned, pulling Chris into a kiss too. It looked like Alex had managed to convince Gene that Christmas wasn't such a bad time for him after all.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Well, I hope that was okay! And again, I am so, so sorry for how late this second part was. But I really hope you can forgive me! One of my New Year's resolutions for this year is to update my fanfictions more regularly, because I know you, as my lovely readers, deserve much better from me. Hope you enjoyed this, and please review!<strong>_

_**X :D**_


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